"That would be too late. His case will come up in court this afternoon."

"Well, if it does, the boy'll have to take the consequences. I always
told him he shouldn't linger over delivering his orders. It will be a
good lesson to him."

The incessant repetition of the last words grated on Foster's ears, and,
realizing that he was only wasting time in trying to persuade the
hard-hearted guardian to help his ward, he exclaimed:

"Then you refuse to do anything to assist Bob, do you?"

"Well, I don't know as I would put it exactly that way. I'll see if I
can't do something this evening."

"Well, you may be obliged to leave your store, whether you want to or
not," retorted Foster, and with this enigmatical remark, the very
suggestiveness of which caused an expression of fear to settle on the
face of the grocer, the reporter turned on his heel and left the shop.




CHAPTER III

FREE AGAIN


While Bob's champion, unknown to the boy, was interesting himself in his